


Alle wollen nur dich zähmen

by FrauFeuerengel



Category: Emigrate (Band), Rammstein
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Fluff, Foursome - M/M/M/M, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Leashes, M/M, Master/Pet, Mutual Masturbation, Oral Sex, Pack Dynamics, Past Drug Addiction, Phone Sex, Polyamory, Praise Kink, Scratching, Self-Esteem Issues, Spanking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2020-09-07 04:47:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20303704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrauFeuerengel/pseuds/FrauFeuerengel
Summary: Richard is forced to spend time alone with his thoughts, and it drives him into a dark place which he can only be helped out of one way. It turns out that he's terrible at keeping his good ideas to himself.





	1. Reeshypup

They say it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness, but if a candle was good, Richard Kruspe decided, then a cigarette was even better.

The downpour outside had been raging for two days, intermittently, like a scorned lover who kept storming back in to get the final word. The power in Richard’s flat had gone, after Mother Nature’s first tantrum yesterday, which left the guitarist with nothing to occupy himself besides his thoughts—decidedly not his favorite company to keep. A startling thunderclap overhead and the rain beating against the windows was joined by the soft, understated _snick_ of his lighter as he tried to relax and ignore the nagging of everything weighing on his mind.

That fucking pool. He had been so fucking proud of the home he had built for himself and the girls, and not even a month into the tour, his downstairs neighbor had called him and politely asked him to stop flooding his home. He had returned to find that his swimming pool was now occupying his recording studio. And the computers contained within. The computers that had formerly contained the finished copy of his masterpiece.  


The only copy.

He was furious with himself. Which only led to his brain compiling a greatest hits list of his mistakes. Building a pool above his studio. The laziness in making backups. The poor choices in women. The time he fell off that damn pyramid. Not paying attention to where he got off the U-Bahn. The cocaine.

Ahh, the cocaine.

_ Nein. Gottverdammt, Kruspe. Du bist stärker als das. _

So he reached for the one vice he had left.

After half a pack of Karos did nothing to calm his nerves, he reached for his handy with a sigh.

* * *

Lightning still cracked overhead as Schneider opened the door to the sight of 180 cm of drenched, depressed guitarist, dripping rainwater onto his welcome mat.

“It’s been a while, Reeshypup.”

Richard shoved his hands deep into his pockets, his green eyes trained down on his boots. “Ja...shut up,” he muttered sheepishly.

Schneider pursed his lips, threading the thin leather leash in his hands around his fingers. “Not even over the threshold and you’re already being naughty. And after asking for a favor.”

Richard sighed. “Are you gonna let me in or leave me out here to catch my death?”

Schneider smiled quietly. “Come on in. But stand in the foyer. I just had the carpets done.”

He started down the hall, but paused when he heard no movement behind him. “Come on, boy,” he said gently. “You know the drill.”

By the time Schneider returned with several fluffy towels, straight out of the dryer, Richard stood nude in the entryway, arms hugged tightly around himself as he shivered and drops of water continued to roll down his skin onto the wood beneath his feet. Schneider began to dry him off. “Poor little pup needs to not be himself for a while, hmm? Needs Alpha to think for him for a bit?”

Richard let out a soft whine of agreement. He hated this. Hated giving up control. Hated letting someone else make decisions on his behalf.

But most of all he hated how much he craved it.

When Schneider finished ruffling his hair with one of the towels, Richard instinctively dropped onto all fours and peered up at him, swaying his ass side to side in quiet enthusiasm and shyly headbutting the other man’s thigh.

“Reeshy, _sitzen_!” Schneider commanded. Richard bit his lip as he kneeled up, sitting back on his heels. He always felt a bit ridiculous whenever he first began to sink into this part of himself. Schneider smiled and crooked a finger, rubbing his knuckle affectionately under his pet’s chin. “Good boy!” he cooed, before buckling the simple red collar around Richard’s throat. “Such a pretty pup.”

Richard blushed and whined softly, dropping back onto his hands and knees and pawing at his Alpha’s leg. As far as it mattered to Richard, this wasn’t Christoph anymore. Christoph would argue with him in the studio and make sure he knew when he was wrong. Christoph would give Richard a hard time in interviews and remind everyone that Mutter was his fault. But in this house, behind that door that suddenly seemed so tall from his vantage point on the ground, Alpha was his master. Alpha would take care of him. He was Alpha’s good boy.  


Alpha clipped the leash to Reeshy’s collar, letting it go slack as he tapped the side of his thigh and snapped his fingers. “_Fuß_!” Reeshy scurried over to Alpha’s side. Desperate to show how much he had missed his master, he stumbled along, trying to nuzzle against his hip as he was walked towards the kitchen, causing the man on two legs to chuckle. “I missed you too, pretty pup. C’mon, you’re probably hungry, ja? You never remember to feed yourself when you feel bad enough to let Reeshy out to play, silly boy.”  


Reeshy whined and nodded, his stomach growling in agreement. As Alpha stopped in front of the fridge and opened the door, Reeshy excitedly pushed in front of him, shoving his head inside and peering around. He spotted a package of smoked salmon and grasped it between his teeth, letting it dangle from his mouth as he gazed up at Alpha with a triumphant, hopeful look. Alpha let out an amused sigh. “Didn’t take you long to choose.” Getting a plate down from the cupboard, he clicked his tongue and chuckled. “Spoiled. Completely spoiled. You’re only lucky you’re so cute.”  


Reeshy let out a happy yip as Alpha dropped some slices onto a plate and set it on the floor in front of him. “_Bleib..._” came the command as Reeshy sniffed excitedly at it. He pouted and looked up at Alpha, wiggling his butt and whining. He looked between the salmon and Alpha’s face several times—having to choose between the food that was right there, and making Alpha proud of him, was  so hard! But his patience paid off as Alpha stroked his hair. “Okay, Reeshy..._essen_!”

He leaned down on his forearms and shoved his face into the plate, munching happily on the fish as Alpha set a bowl of water beside him, a bendy straw sticking out of it so Reeshy could drink without inhaling it. Alpha was so good to Reeshy—he got to be a happy, spoiled puppy, but Alpha always made sure everything was safe for two-legged puppies.

When Reeshy finished his dinner, he looked up at Alpha with a greasy face. He pushed up onto his palms as Alpha wiped his face clean with a warm washcloth, smiling fondly at him. “Was that good, Reeshypup?” he chuckled softly, petting his head and running his fingers through the jet black locks beneath them. Reeshy nodded, then tipped his head back to lick at Alpha’s hand.  “Does Reeshy want scratchies before snoozy-time, hmm?” Alpha asked, and his puppy nodded, flopping onto his back and stretching out his limbs with a giggle that turned into a wide yawn. “That was a big yawn, my goodness! Maybe my Reeshy is too sleepy, maybe I should just tuck him in?” The puppy whined and frantically shook his head, rolling back onto his hands and knees as Alpha picked up the leash. “Don’t worry, pretty pup. Alpha won’t let you go to sleep without feeling sufficiently loved on.”

Reeshy trotted along at Alpha’s feet, switching to walking on two feet as they made their way up the stairs. When Alpha opened the door to the bedroom, Reeshy looked up at him and was rewarded with a caress to his cheek. “Go on, do what you need to do, then come to bed,” Alpha smiled fondly. Once Reeshy had finished his nightly ritual, he climbed into bed, curling up with his head on Alpha’s chest, resting his cheek so that he could feel Alpha’s heart thudding comfortingly against him. “Hey, Alpha?” he said softly.

“Ja, Reeshy?”

“Can I have a cigarette while you pet me?”

“No propping your head on my chest while you do.”

“‘Kay,” Reeshy replied, rolling over and reaching for the pack and the lighter on the nightstand. It was moments like this, where Richard and Reeshy blended into one being, loved unconditionally, that he felt most at peace with himself. Laying on his side, he took silent drags at his cigarette as Alpha lazily scratched his nails down the younger man’s back. As the glowing end crawled close to his fingers, he ground it out in the ashtray and snuggled close, one strong arm around him as his master’s other hand stroked his hair and lulled him to sleep.


	2. Chasing Oblivion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schneider and Richard have a long overdue conversation. Two conversations, if we're being honest...

Early in the morning, the Master and his pet were woken by Christoph’s phone, with a frantic Till on the other end.

“Schneider...have you heard from Scholle? I’ve been trying to call him all morning, and he isn’t picking up, and he’s not home, and...and...”

“Relax, Till. His power went out from the storm. He crashed with me.”

“...with you?”

“Ja, with me. Problem?”

“Nein. Just...was worried.”

“Well, alles klar. I’ll let him know you were asking after him when he wakes up.”

Richard rolled over, batting blindly at Schneider’s arm and trying to knock the phone out of his hand so he’d shut up. 

“Danke, Schneider. Tschüss.”

When the line went dead, Schneider let out the laugh he had been holding in. “You absolute brat!” he chuckled, pulling Richard close and trapping him in a tangle of long limbs. “That was Till, in a panic because you never answer your phone!”

Richard squirmed and laughed. “Okay, okay, I’ll do better,” he chuckled. 

As their laughter subsided, Schneider propped himself up on an arm and caressed Richard’s bicep. “Can I ask you something?”

Richard nodded lazily as he reached for his cigarettes. “Always. You know that, Schneider.”

“Why did you ask to come over last night? And don’t say ‘because the power went out.’ I remember when you used to squat in a one-room with no lights or water,_ Sven_.”

Exhaling a stream of smoke towards the ceiling, Richard chuckled hoarsely and gestured vaguely with the hand holding the cigarette between his fingers. 

“I don’t make particularly good company for myself,” he sighs. “Picked up the phone, and it was you or a dealer...”

“Oh, Reesh...” Schneider sighed. “Though...I’m proud of you, baby...you’ve been clean for so long, I’m glad you didn’t let one bad night mess you up again. I’m glad you came to me instead.”

Richard fell uncharacteristically quiet at that. “You’re proud of me.”

“Ja, Reeshy...Alpha’s proud of you.”

“No one’s ever proud of me.”

“No...everyone’s proud of you, except you.”

“They never tell me.”

“You never listen.”

“I listen.”

“To yourself, calling you a failure, maybe.” 

The younger man didn’t really have a comeback for that. “...damn you, Schneider.”

Christoph laughed. “Come on, get up, I’ll fix you some breakfast before I kick you out.”

Richard headed towards the toilet while Schneider shuffled down to the kitchen to start the coffee. When he joined the other downstairs, the table was already set with a simple breakfast of Müsli and fruit, Schneider already digging into his. “Sit down, boy. We do need to have a bit of a chat now that you’re awake and thinking clearly again...well, as clearly as you ever do.”

Richard grumbled. “I’m not wearing the collar anymore, Schneider.”

“You’re still my boy. Tell me I’m wrong.”

Richard muttered under his breath again as he stabbed viciously at his granola. Schneider chuckled quietly.

“I thought so. Look. What I said upstairs was true. I’m proud of you. But...you haven’t been taking care of yourself lately, and the rest of the band can tell.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You’ve lost a stone since the tour ended.”

“I’ve been busy with the album.”

“Busy reworking it, or busy sitting at a desk all day and beating yourself up over it?”

Richard scowled. “I’ve been working.”

“Have you?” Schneider asked. “Till said the last time he came over for dinner there was a layer of dust collecting on your guitars.”

“I’m writing!” Richard insisted.

“Okay, sure. You’re writing. Now actually try looking me in the eyes and telling me that, and maybe I’ll believe you.”

Richard scowled at the table. “Fine. I...haven’t been well.”

“You need someone to take care of you. Obviously you’re not in a fit state to be trusted to do it yourself.”

The guitarist didn’t argue. He couldn’t argue. He knew Schneider was right, even if he was far too stubborn to ever admit as much.

“For the time being, I want you to check in with me twice a day. When you wake up, and when you’re getting ready for bed.”

“And what if I say no?”

Schneider raised an eyebrow. “Go on, if you really don’t want to, tell me no, then.”

Silence. Followed by a nearly inaudible “...damn you, Chris.”

“At last, the truth comes out. So twice a day it is, then. Ja?”

* * *

That night, Schneider’s phone rang in the quiet of his bedroom.

“Hallo, Reeshy,” he said quietly. “Did you have a good day?”

“Ja...I tried to be good, Alpha.”

“That’s good, pretty boy,” Schneider smiles. “Did you eat dinner?”

“Ja.”

“What did you have?”

“Leftovers...?” Richard sounded unsure of himself, as if suddenly worried that his answer was unacceptable.

“What kind of leftovers?”

“Um...chicken?”

“That’s good. I’m glad you ate something. I’m proud of you.”

Those four words were Richard’s kryptonite. Schneider knew it well, knew how desperately he aimed to please just for a simple scrap of approval from someone, anyone. It honestly felt like a bit of a knife tip digging into his heart, not that he would ever admit it. 

“Thanks, Alpha,” his boy replied softly.

“Were you good in other ways?”

On the other end of the phone, Richard’s cheeks burned. He knew from the past, from all the other times he had come to Schneider in desperation, begging him  _Please Chris, I need to not be me, just for a while, I need a vacation from my own head_,  that when Alpha asked if he was good, he wasn’t exactly asking if Richard had refrained from chasing squirrels.

“J-ja, Alpha...” he mumbled shyly.

“Are you ready for bed?”

“I’m already in bed.”

“Good boy. Are you comfy?”

“As much as I can be.”

Schneider’s voice dropped deeper. “Tell me, Reeshy. Do you still sleep naked like a good little pup?”

He could hear the sound of Richard’s throat as he swallowed. “Ja. When the girls aren’t here.”

“Are they there now?”

“Nein.”

“Where are those pretty painted hands of yours right now, baby?”

“Um...one’s...um...holding the phone, and the other’s resting on my chest.”

“I’m jealous that it gets to touch your chest right now and I don’t.” Richard sucked in a breath at that, before the voice on the other end continued. “Maybe we should pretend that it’s Alpha’s hand, hmm?”

Richard’s voice shook as he responded. “I’d...I’d like that a lot.”

“That’s my good boy.”

The words were enough to coax a whimper from Richard’s throat.

“Whining already? And Alpha’s barely even touched you yet. Unless you’re being naughty and starting without me...?”

“Nein, Alpha! I’m...I’m your good boy, I promise...”

“Well, good boy...I think Alpha’s hand should tease your nipples, don’t you? Not enough to hurt, mind you...just ghosting my fingertips over them enough to make you tremble and moan.”

From the shuddering gasp that followed, it was clear that Richard was unflinchingly following his lead.

“Does that feel good, pretty boy?” Schneider purred. “Alpha loves your chest, you know...I bet if you press your fingers in hard enough you can still feel my marks.”

“Can I have more the next time I see you? Bitte?”

“Of course, baby. You bruise so prettily when I bite you...”

Richard groaned softly. “Can I...?”

“Can you what, Reeshy?”

“Y’know...”

“No, I don’t know,” Schneider lied, smirking quietly.

“Can I touch my cock? It aches, Alpha...”

“Nein.”

Richard whined pitifully.

“...but I think I’ll wrap _my_ hand around it.”

A bottle snapped open and shut in the background and Schneider smiled as his boy let out an unmistakable moan. “Oh...fuck...thank you, Alpha...thank you...”

“That’s it, baby...let yourself melt for me...you deserve to feel good...”

Schneider echoed Richard’s whimpers and gasps, encouraging his pet along as his own hand found his aching need. “Oh...my gorgeous Reeshy...this is what you needed...chasing that little bit of oblivion, that perfect moment when your mind goes blank and you only have to feel, isn’t that right?”

Richard responded with a growl and Schneider could picture him perfectly—his jaw tightening, the tendons in his neck cording as he began to frantically thrust up, fucking his fist. It was not an image that the older man could forget easily, having been blessed with the sight of it on multiple occasions.

“You’re close, aren’t you, pretty boy? I can hear it in your breathing.”

“Ja...” Richard panted. “Bitte...bitte...bitte...Alpha...need you to say it...need you to tell me it’s okay...”

“Wait for me, baby...I’m almost there...”

“Bitte!” Richard whined desperately, writhing in the darkness.

A couple more strokes and Schneider snarled what Richard needed to hear. “Fuck, let go for me, baby...”

He was answered with a strangled cry, followed by silence as the guitarist’s back arched sharply, the tensing of every muscle in his body overriding his instinct to breathe, followed by gasps as he remembered how once more. Schneider, meanwhile, shivered and snarled, the primal sounds barely registering through the white noise that had drowned out the other’s thoughts and worries.

For several long moments, the line was quiet, save for the two men’s breathing as they slowed once more.

Schneider finally broke the silence. “Can you sleep now?” 

“Already halfway there...” Richard mumbled.

“Good boy. Have sweet dreams of Alpha, okay, baby?”

“I’ll try.”

“Goodnight, baby.”

“Goodnight, Alpha. I miss you.”


	3. Six Months Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richard and Schneider get some much-needed alone time while on tour. But you know what they say about the best-laid plans...

In a town called “Sin City,” it seemed fitting to Richard to find himself on his knees in an overly extravagant hotel suite, red leather wrapped around his throat and his mouth wrapped around Alpha’s cock. Schneider had one hand fisted tightly in his pet’s hair, the other holding the leash wrapped around it, keeping Richard firmly in place. 

“That’s it, pretty pup...your lips always look so gorgeous with something shoved between them...” Schneider growled. “And you look so cute on your knees...” His voice began to tremble as he let his eyes fall shut.

Richard gagged and began to struggle. He immediately gave him some slack on the leash as he pulled back, gasping and coughing. “Emigrate...” the guitarist panted.

“Sorry, baby...” Schneider groaned. When Richard had begged for this, he had hesitated—the idea was to reward Richard for the effort he had made to prioritize his work-life balance on the current tour, and indeed, he had exceeded his master’s expectations. He knew that Richard always overestimated himself when it came to trying to fit Schneider down his throat, but he begged so prettily and pouted so pitifully that Christoph couldn’t say no to his beloved pup.

“I love that you’re so eager, baby. But I don’t want you hurting yourself to please me. Are you okay?” he asked as Richard laid his head on his thigh.

“Ja,” Richard mumbled, closing his eyes as Schneider gently stroked his hair. “Can I just stay like this for now? Feels nice...”

“Of course, Reeshy. Whatever you need to feel safe and loved. Because no matter how rough we play...you’re safe and I do love you.”

Richard hugged his arms around Alpha’s legs as he sat at his feet. “Love you too, Alpha...”

The two enjoyed the peaceful moment until it was abruptly shattered by the wail of an alarm and an off-puttingly calm female voice. “May I have your attention, please. This is a fire emergency. This is not a drill. Please evacuate the building immediately, using the nearest stairwell...”

“Scheiße!” the two men gasped in unison. Schneider snatched the bathrobes laying on the foot of the bed and tossed one to Richard as they fled the suite.

Twenty-seven floors worth of stairs later, they met up with their bandmates outside. “Was not my fault!” Till was protesting with a pout when Richard and Schneider approached, as Paul was doubled over laughing. “Was not! Stop laughing at me, Paul! I did nothing..._this_ _time_!”

Richard shivered and wrapped his arms around himself. “Do we know what actually happened?” he grumbled. 

“Well...I don’t see any smoke, so it was probably a child thinking it would be funny,” Flake mused, as Oli quietly offered a cigarette to Richard.

“Well, it was not,” the younger guitarist grumbled. As he stepped away to smoke, he noticed Paul watching him with a curious expression.

“What?!” he snapped irritably.

Paul pointed down towards the bottom of Richard’s robe. “Was ist das?”

He looked down and froze. Dangling just past the hem was the end of the leash. He hurriedly slipped his hand inside the robe and pulled it out of sight. “It’s nothing.”

“If it’s nothing, then why do you look like I just caught you jerking off?” Paul teased.

“I said it’s nothing! Now drop it!” Richard snarled.

“Okay, okay, fuck. Sorry.”

Richard ground his cigarette into the pavement and stormed off. When the fire department finally announced that Flake had, indeed, been right, the band joined the queue of tired and dazed tourists being herded back inside. Richard stuck close to Schneider, until he was nudged off the elevator on the twenty-fifth floor. “Reesh...your floor,” Paul grinned. “Man, you’re really out of sorts when you don’t get your beauty sleep, aren’t you?”

He blinked and blushed. “Oh...right.” He briefly met Schneider’s eyes as the doors slid shut between them, before shuffling towards his own empty suite with a sigh. As he reached into his pocket for his key, he swore as he found himself emptyhanded. He let a few minutes pass to make sure he wouldn’t run into any of his bandmates still loitering around, before taking the elevator back up to Schneider’s room.

* * *

Somewhere over the Atlantic, three days later, Paul and Till were the only two awake, playing cards and trying to outdrink each other from the bottle of vodka between them, when Paul let slip what had been bugging him ever since the night of the fire alarm.

“Did you know Reesh is kinky?”

Till nearly spit a mouthful of Stoli at him as he burst out laughing. “Paulchen, I know you don’t pay attention to your surroundings, but this is a new low, even for you. He’s as kinky as I am big, everyone knows.”

“Ja, I know, I know, but...he...isn’t the one doing things to other people.”

Till paused. “How do you know?”

“He was wearing a leash.”

“He wears collars all the time.”

“Ja, onstage. But this was a leash, Till. When we were at the hotel.” He giggled. “I knew he was overcompensating for _something_ when he tried to take over.”

“But he hasn’t been with any women. I know this. He has been spending time with Schneider.”

“Oh,” Paul shrugged, before his eyes went wide and he grinned. “_Oh_...”

“Was?” Till asked as he took another swig from the bottle.

“I saw it the night we all had to evacuate. We all came down separately. Except for Richard and Schneider.”

Till’s eyes went wide. “You don’t think...?”

And that was how, their first night in Spain, Till Lindemann found himself knocking on Schneider’s door.


	4. Tillybär

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Till is intrigued. Alpha and Reeshy are willing to try something new.

“Stoooop it!” Richard squawked, nearly rolling off the bed. “My belly’s off limits, Schneider! I’m not an actual dog, I’m a ticklish fucker who’s gonna piss the bed if you don’t let me up!” he cackled, trying to escape his master’s grasp. 

“Are you ‘Emigrate’-ing?” Schneider asked. The other man pouted and nodded. “Okay, okay, Alpha’s sorry, baby. Come here.” He pulled Richard close. “Hey, guess what?” 

“Was?”

Schneider leaned over and blew a raspberry against his boy’s stomach, earning him an undignified huff. “You are entirely ridiculous.  _ Sir _ .”

“Sir” laughed. “Go on, boy. If you wet the bed, I’m taking the couch and you can sleep on the floor. And don’t call me Sir. I work for a living.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” came the cheeky reply.

“Watch it, you. Seeing you with that dog collar on always stirs my inner Frau as it is.”

Richard cackled as his naked ass swayed towards the bathroom.

Through the door, he could hear a knock, followed by the muffled voices of Alpha and Till. Holding his breath, he pressed his ear to the door. 

“Nein, Till...this isn’t really a good time...”

“Please, Schneider.”

“How much does he know?”

“Just...about you and Scholle.”

“That’s all?”

“...Nein. He saw Richard’s leash.”

“Shh, keep it down, Till, Christ. Get in here.” Richard heard the door close. With a sigh, he wrapped a towel around his waist and came out of the bathroom. Till gasped.

“So...um. I guess it’s true, then? What Paul said?”

Richard sat down and sighed. “What did Paul say, exactly?”

“That you’re...fuck, I’m too sober for this. That you’re...Schneider’s dog or something. Fuck, Scholle. Aren’t you two taking the Frau thing a bit far?”

“It’s not like that, Till. Alpha...takes care of me.”

“I can see that.”

“It’s not like that. Well...not  _just_ like that. He makes me feel safe. He encourages me to take care of myself. ”

“Does he...” Till trailed off, turning his attention back to Schneider. “Do you...ever hurt him?”

“Till, I—“ the drummer tried to protest. 

“ Do you hurt him? ”

“Occasionally. But I don’t harm him.”

“Would you hurt  _me_ ?”

Alpha and his pet sat there in stunned silence as they looked at Till.

“ Please,  Chris.”

“Well...I...Richard...I...”

Richard looked at Schneider. “It’s okay, Alpha,” he nodded quietly.

“Why do you want me to hurt you?”

Till stared at the ground. “Because...everyone can see that he’s happier now, and if it’s because of you...maybe you can fix me, too.”

Schneider ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “I’m not a fairy godmother, Till. I can’t make you happy overnight.”

“I know that. But I want to try. If you’ll have me. I’ll do anything. I just want to hurt for somebody. Hurting myself doesn’t work anymore.”

“Will you give my boy and I a moment?” 

Till nodded, and Schneider motioned for Richard to follow him into the bedroom.

“I have my own thoughts about his request, but I want to know what you think,” Schneider said, closing the door. “You were here first, after all.”

Richard sat down on the edge of the bed, his legs swinging slightly as his chewed on his lip. “Feeling too fuzzy for this...” he sighs.

Alpha wrapped his arm around Richard and tucked him against his side. “It’s not ideal, baby, I know.”

“I...um...I care about Till, and I don’t want him to keep hurting himself to chase whatever it is he’s trying to find...or feel, or whatever. But...I’m scared.”

“Of what, liebchen?”

“I’m scared you’ll like him better...” Richard mumbled. “Scared he’ll take my place.”

Schneider shifted Richard into his lap. “He can never replace you, Reeshy. You’re my good pup. That will never change unless you one day tell me to fuck off.”

The younger man giggled softly at that. “I...I guess we could give it a trial run. I just have one condition.”

“Anything.”

“If we decide to keep him, I want to be higher in the pack than him. Like you said...I was here first.” He looked down and picked at his chipped nail polish, feeling awkward about giving Alpha an ultimatum.

“That’s fine, baby. Thank you for being honest with me. I know it’s hard when you feel like this.” Reeshy beamed as Alpha kissed his forehead. “Let’s go tell Till what we’ve decided.”

As the door opened, Till looked up, his hands awkwardly clasped in his lap to keep them from shaking. He said nothing, waiting for Christoph to speak. “Relax, Till,” he said. “You look like you’re next on death row.”

Till grinned sheepishly at that. “Entschuldigung.”

Schneider sat down, pulling Richard into his lap and enveloping him in his arms. “Reeshy and I are okay with trying things out and seeing how they go. But I’m warning you now, you’re asking me to help. That means I’ll do what I think is in your best interest, even if it isn’t what you want. Can you live with that?”

Till bit his lip, then nodded. “Anything. I just need someone to be happy with me.”

“I don’t have a leash for you right now. Are you good at heeling?”

“Ja...” Till blushed, sliding off of the couch to crawl over to Schneider’s feet.

“Nein, Till, no crawling.”

He froze, looking confused and nervous. Stroking Richard’s back, Schneider continued. “Normally, I wouldn’t mind if you felt like expressing yourself that way, but...I don’t want you to hurt your knees.”

Till relaxed, looking up with a tiny, grateful smile. Schneider shifted Richard out of his lap and clipped the leash to his collar. “Come on then, pups.”

Reeshy hurried along on his hands and knees, pulling eagerly at the leash. Till brought up the rear, still looking sheepish and unsure. “Okay, everyone up on the bed,” Schneider smiled. “And Till, get comfy. You can strip down, but...only as far as you feel comfortable with.”

Till took off his shirt and dropped it on the floor, sprawling on his back. Richard snuggled up to his side and propped himself up on an elbow, frowning gently as he traced his fingers over the angry lines on Till’s bicep. “You hurt yourself again...” he said softly.

“Ja...I already told you...”

“I won’t ask why, because I know.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Don’t I?”

Schneider watched quietly as Richard shifted, carefully examining every inch of Till’s exposed skin and pressing his lips gently to every scar he found, murmuring soft words of comfort as he did so. Reesh had never said anything to him, but Schneider long suspected that there were mutual feelings of some sort between the two of them, and as far as he was seeing in front of him, he had been right. The way Richard’s face fell at the sight of scars he didn’t recognize, the way he whispered to Till over and over again that nothing could hurt him in the pack.

Till finally broke, covering his face with his hands as he curled up and hid against Richard’s chest, as painted nails raked through his hair, scratching affectionately at his scalp. Schneider’s heart swelled as he watched his boy care for their friend, and eventually he stretched out on Till’s other side.

“Thank you for keeping my ass warm,” came the muffled voice against Richard’s chest. All three of them laughed. Alpha caught his boy’s eyes and smiled quietly.

This could work.


	5. Pack Mentality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Till has been welcomed into the pack with open arms, but a moment of insecurity on Richard’s part leads to tension for all three of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I promise, I never forgot about this fic, but real life got in the way and gave me a major case of “I don’t know how to finish this chapter.” Hopefully it was worth the wait. :)

The tour was over, it was 3am, and Richard couldn’t sleep. Not for lack of trying, however. He always knew Till snored, but knowing and having the full cacophony of it aimed directly at his ear were two different things.

He nudged the larger man gently, to no avail. “Donut. Wake up.” 

“Mmmfph.”

Richard sighed and rolled over to snuggle against Schneider’s chest, causing him to stir. “Problem, Reeshy?” he mumbled sleepily.

“Problem?” he grumbled. “Yeah, can’t you hear that?! It’s like a...tiny airport inside his sinuses.”

“So take the couch.”

“No.”

“Either take the couch, sleep in the bathtub, or shut up. I wasn’t awake until you started squirming, boy.”

Richard sulked, huffing softly every time he tossed and turned, until Schneider finally sat up, looking displeased. “What is your problem, boy?”

“Nothing,” he muttered, trying to get up. Schneider’s hand shot out, a firm grip on Richard’s forearm yanking him backwards. 

“Don’t give me attitude, boy.”

“I’m not.”

“You sound like a petulant child.”

“I always sound like this before my first cigarette.”

As the exchange grew louder, their third curled in on himself, rubbing at his eyes with a large hand. “Stop...” he whined softly, causing Schneider to give Richard a pointed, accusatory look.

“Sorry, Till,” Schneider said. “We didn’t mean to wake you.”

Till turned to cuddle Richard, but the smaller man was already halfway down the bed. “I’ll just go sleep on the couch,” he muttered as he awkwardly maneuvered off the end of the mattress. He grabbed a spare blanket and left the room, shutting the door with a little more force than necessary. 

With a sigh, Schneider pulled Till back into his arms. “Don’t mind him, boy. He doesn’t mean anything by it.” The two of them curled up the rest of the night together, Till’s face pressed against his Alpha’s chest, Alpha’s fingers lovingly stroking his hair.

When they finally got up, there was already an empty coffee mug in the sink, and the door to the study was locked, soft strumming audible behind it. Schneider sighed and knocked softly. “Reesh...come on.”

“I’m busy.”

“We’re having breakfast.”

“I already ate.”

“Come out anyway.”

“No.”

Schneider growled softly. “I tried to be nice, but now I’m telling, not asking. Get out here.”

After a quiet moment, the door opened. “What?”

Alpha regarded Reesh with a gentle expression, noticing his puffy eyes. “What happened to my good boy, hmm?” 

“He’s out there ‘cause you didn’t kick him out of bed,” Richard muttered softly.

“Is that what this is about?” he asked gently. Richard nodded. 

“Kinda.”

Schneider closed the door behind him and sat Richard down. “Are you mad at Till?” 

The guitarist fidgeted and nodded. “Kinda. ‘Cause you like him better.”

“Where in the hell did you get that idea, Reeshy?” he asked. “You were Alpha’s pup first, and I love you, little one. You know that.”

“But you act like I can’t do anything right,” he sighed.

“That’s not true, baby.” Schneider sighed and wrapped an arm around his boy. “But there’s three of us. You can’t be right all the time. Till has needs, too.”

“Shouldn’t have let him into the pack,” Richard muttered softly. “Stole my Alpha.”

Schneider sighed. “Reeshy, look. You don’t get me all to yourself, true. But you never did. We went years before you needed to play again, and you don’t own me now just because we’re back together. That isn’t how this works. You can’t want to give up your control and then demand it back the second you don’t get exactly what you want.”

There was movement in the doorway and they looked up to see an uncomfortable Till.

“I can go...”

Richard’s heart sank at the look on his best friend’s face. “Wait...Till...” He got up and grabbed Till by the wrist, pulling him onto the couch with himself and Schneider. “I’m sorry...I’m...I’m being an idiot. An under-caffeinated idiot who’s only had one cig this morning...” he muttered sheepishly. “I have two guys crazy enough to love me...I should be reveling in all the love, not grumping that I have to share it.”

Alpha smiled quietly as his boys sorted things out amongst themselves. Richard wrapped his arm around Till and kissed him gently, the bigger man turning a slight shade of pink. “I just want to be loved...” Till murmured. “I never really was fussed about who, but...I always kind of wished it would be Scholle,” he said softly. “And you, Alpha. I...only trust the band.” He dropped to his knees, making an awkward attempt to lay his head in both laps at once, eventually settling in Richard’s, his hand resting on Schneider’s leg. Schneider gently pet him as he leaned over and gently kissed Richard on the lips. 

“Reeshypup,” he smiled quietly, “why don’t you curl up with our boy while I make breakfast, hmm?”

Richard slid to the ground and ended up in Till’s lap with a giggle, nuzzling his cheek. By the time Schneider left the room, the two of them were sprawled out on the floor, wrestling playfully. 

“It’s time for all good pups to come eat!” Alpha called, and his boys came barreling out of the study, racing each other to the kitchen and playfully shoving each other as they went. They skidded to a halt just short of slamming into the wall, and Reeshy dropped to all fours, inching towards Alpha and nuzzling his thigh as Till flopped down on his ass like Alpha had trained him to do, to spare his aching knees. Schneider crouched down to set a plate down in front of his younger pup. “Eggs for Reeshy,” he smiled, stroking his hair. Reeshy beamed and nuzzled into the touch until Alpha stepped away, dragging one of the dining chairs to sit in front of Till and placing a bowl of salmon upon it. “And fishies for my favorite little bear cub, hmm?” he smiled, tugging affectionately on his hair. Till sighed happily, his eyes falling shut. 

Alpha sat down with his bowl of müsli, watching the two pups fondly. Reeshy had always been a good boy, desperate to earn and keep his approval, single-mindedly striving for the praise he knew it would bring. But inviting Till into the pack had changed something in his boy. Yes, there were times when Reeshy’s insecurity would send him flouncing off to pout if he decided there was an excessive discrepancy between the attention Till was getting versus himself. But the rest of the time, he noticed a new inner peace in his boy. He slept better with Till curled against his back. Alpha would often come into the living room and find one of them curled up with their head laying in the other’s lap as they watched American movies with German subtitles, sighing softly as their hair was gently stroked, even when they weren’t dropped into their canine headspaces. He hated to admit to himself that even he felt a twinge of envy at the connection between the two of them, but a bigger part of him was thrilled to see the two of them happier than he’d ever thought they could be.

Tillybär finished his breakfast first, scooting over to Alpha and offering him his empty bowl. He took it and gazed down at his pup, caressing his cheek and smiling warmly. “Good boy!” he cooed, and Tillybär nearly melted. “Go on, little one. Go curl up on the couch and when Reeshy finishes eating, we can all have a cuddle, okay?”

He helped Till to his feet and ‘booped’ his nose, causing the larger man to let out a strangely adorable giggle, before leaving the room. Alpha noticed Reeshy trying to scarf his eggs down faster to join Till.

Life was good.


	6. Creature Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul is concerned about the change in Till’s behavior and decides to investigate.

Six men sat around Schneider’s dinner table, celebrating the end of the tour, but one’s mind was not on the topic at hand. 

As the others joked and laughed, Paul was oddly quiet, watching the subtle interactions between the drummer and his fellow guitarist. The way Richard would glance at Schneider every time he made a joke, his hopeful expression turning to a smile each time the older man acknowledged him with a chuckle. The way he fidgeted awkwardly with his fork until Schneider began to eat. The way his hand gently ghosted against Schneider’s to get his attention.

And the way that Till, sitting on Schneider’s other side, was following Richard’s lead. 

After dinner, as the band fell into their usual comfortable conversation, Paul followed Till into the kitchen under the pretense of deciding he needed another beer, too.

“_Et tu_, Lindemann?”

“What?” Till asked, raising an eyebrow as he cracked open his drink.

“You’re playing that sick game with Schneider and Richard now?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Look, I just think it’s weird,” he said. “And a little bit gross. Okay, a _lot_ gross...what could you possibly get out of that? At least the last time was for work, for the video. But now you’re doing it for, what? Some weird fetish?”

Till shrank in on himself and dropped his gaze, the way he did every time he wanted to avoid a conversation. “It’s not like that.”

“Then what is it like?”

“We’re done discussing this, Paulchen,” he muttered softly, turning back towards the archway leading into the lounge. When Paul came back out, Schneider, Till, and Richard were all squeezed onto a sofa meant for two people, Richard gently rubbing Till’s back as they both spoke quietly to him. 

When Richard glanced up and realized Paul had returned, Schneider laid a hand on his boy’s thigh and gave him a warning look to placate him as he started to move to get up. “I’ll handle this, Richard,” he murmured quietly. “You stay with Till.” He rose and motioned for Paul to follow him into the hallway.

“Who the hell do you think you are, interfering in someone else’s relationship?!”

“It’s weird, Schneider. It’s fuckin’ weird. They’re, what, your dogs? Do you dress up like Frau, too?”

“Watch your mouth,” Schneider hissed quietly. “You know nothing about it.”

“Well, then, explain it to me. I want to understand.”

“I’m sure you do,” Schneider muttered dismissively.

“You’re all my friends, my brothers even, but...Till is...different than us. I won’t stand for anyone hurting him, and if it means coming after you, I will. I’m serious.”

Schneider smirked quietly. “Okay. Fine. Look...I’ll ask them if they object to you observing our dynamic if it will put your mind at ease to see what actually happens, but _if_ they agree...if you laugh or otherwise make them feel unsafe in their own safe haven...God help you.”

* * *

Paul was caught off-guard when Richard opened the door of Schneider’s home three days later, wearing a pair of jeans slung low on his hips, clutching a cigarette between his fingers, and looking completely relaxed and as normal as ever, save for the thick scarlet leather collar around his neck. “Hey, Paulie. Just in time, Alpha’s finishing up dinner.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Alpha?”

“Sorry. Schneider. Anyway, come on in.”

As Paul came in, he saw Till laying across the couch, half-paying attention to the television and looking put out until Richard returned, and they resumed their previous position of Till laying with his head in the younger man’s lap, closing his eyes and practically purring as he had his hair gently stroked.

Paul sat in a nearby chair and watched his two friends curiously. “Wait...this is it?” They both looked over at him. “What?”

“I...I don’t know. I expected you to be like, crawling around on a leash and being shoved in cages or something.”

Till laughed. “We only do the leashes occasionally, and we don’t have to crawl. Schneider wouldn’t let me even if I wanted to because of my knees.”

Richard piped up. “I do sometimes, but...by my own choice. Alpha doesn’t force us to do anything we don’t want to.”

“So what’s the point, then?”

“The point, Paul, is to let them relax and not have to be in control for a while,” Schneider said, drying his hands on his shirt as he came out of the kitchen. “Just because they leave the decision making to me doesn’t mean I torture them.”

Till and Richard both sat up excitedly, making room for Schneider between them. He flopped down and wrapped an arm around each of his boys. “Dinner’s in the oven...shouldn’t be too long,” he sighed happily as they cuddled up to him.

Paul fidgeted. “Can I...um...ask questions?”

“Like what?” Richard asked, closing his eyes as he laid his head on Schneider’s shoulder.

“Like...what do you get out of this?”

“I get approval,” Richard said, fumbling around blindly until his fingers found the cigarette sitting in the ashtray. “When I’m feeling low, Alpha takes care of me...and encourages me to take care of myself...and praises me when I’m struggling with my thoughts yet again.”

Till reached for Richard’s hand. “And they both take care of me. Richard checks in with me even when we’re not together, to make sure I’m not falling into old habits, and if I do, he talks me out of it and makes sure I’m okay. And Alpha rewards me when I don’t try to punish myself. He says it’s his job to punish me if I need it...but that I don’t need it because I’m...” He trailed off, his voice actually cracking. “Because I’m not bad.” He swallowed and finished in an unusually soft voice. “Because I’m a good Tillybär...”

Schneider kissed his temple and smiled warmly. “_My_ good Tillybär.”

Richard grinned. “_Our_ good Tillybär.”

Till grinned sheepishly. Paul looked even more confused.

“So...who’s idea was this?”

Richard raised his hand with a wry smile. “I came to Schneider after I had a very long talk with myself while we were filming ‘Mein Teil.’ I’d never been on that end of a leash before and I had some serious thinking to do about how it made me feel, especially who it was being held by.”

“And then when _someone_ told Till what we were up to, he was curious,” Schneider added. Paul had the sense to look apologetic. “But it’s been good for him. And us. Reeshy doesn’t have to hide things from Tillybär anymore and gets unconditional love from both of us...I get two good boys in my bed at night, Till has somewhere to belong—“

Paul interjected. “Hey, he belongs in the band, too!”

Schneider narrowed his eyes at the interruption. “And what about the rest of the time, Paul? He doesn’t just cease to exist whenwe leave the warehouse or the arena.”

“Okay, okay, fine,” Paul said. “But the point is, you didn’t, like, force them into it against their will?”

Till laughed. “Does this look like we’re unhappy to be here?”

Richard smirked. “Yeah, who the hell would force someone into being their dog? That’s fucked up, Paulie. Even for you.”


	7. Paulchen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul lets himself be pulled into the fold and wonders if maybe, just maybe, he was a little quick to judge.

Paulchen sat awkwardly in his kennel, his knees drawn up to his chest.

Why he had agreed to this, he had no idea. At least, that was the lie he told himself because it was better than admitting the truth, which was that he enjoyed gazing up at Alpha from the floor. He enjoyed having Tillybär and Reeshypup curled around him, making him feel safe. He enjoyed having his hair stroked as he laid his head in Alpha’s lap.

He understood.

But understanding and feeling comfortable were two different things.

So he stayed in his kennel, where he could hide and feel safe, and watched his packmates rolling around on the floor, playfighting and grabbing at each other.

And then, flesh was pressed against flesh and painted nails were dragging down a scarred, broad back, and giggles turned to deep growls and moans, and Paulchen hid his face against his arms shyly.

“Paulie?” Alpha asked. “Are you okay?”

He shook his head and turned around in his kennel. Alpha came over and crouched down between the kennel and his two entangled pups.

“What’s wrong, pretty Paulie?” he asked.

“Don’t like to watch...” Paul mumbles uncomfortably.

“Can you tell me why?”

Paul nodded, but elaborating clearly had not occurred to him as an option.

“Are you upset because you’re not included?”

Paul shook his head.

“Are you upset because of what they’re doing?”

He nodded.

“Ahhh...is my puppy too little to see that?”

Paul nodded again. Alpha offered him his hand. “Why don’t we go snuggle together in the big bed? They can join us when they’re done.”

Paul peeked around Alpha’s legs at the other two, still tangled in each others’ arms, then looked up at him and nodded eagerly as he crawled out of his cage. Alpha crouched down, ignoring the popping in his knees as he scooped his Paulie up in his strong arms.

In the bedroom, Alpha sat Paulchen on the bed and wrapped him up snugly in a fluffy blanket. “Do you feel better now, little one?”

Paul nodded, cuddling against Alpha’s warm side. “Don’t like feeling funny.”

“Ahh...and watching Tillybär and Reeshypup made you feel funny?”

“Ja.”

“I’m sorry, pretty pup,” Alpha said, wrapping an arm around him. “I didn’t know.”

“I just like being cuddled and petted. I don’t like the...other stuff,” Paul whispered shyly.

“Well, you’re in luck. Alpha has lots of cuddles for his sweet little puppy,” he smiled, laying down and pulling Paul with him.

Eventually, the other two joined them, Richard looking a bit dazed and disoriented, but quite pleased with himself as Till carted him into the room over his shoulder. The larger man sprawled out on his back beside Schneider, and Richard collapsed on top of him, nuzzling against his neck and giggling.

“Hi...” Paul said shyly as he watched them curl up against each other and Alpha.

Richard glanced up at Paul. “Did we do something bad?” he asked, then hesitantly looked at Schneider.

“No, pretty pup...nothing wrong. Paulchen just isn’t...as uninhibited as you and Tillybär. But that’s okay,” Alpha said, gently scratching at Richard’s scalp and tugging on his hair. “I love all my boys equally.”

“But he loves me most of all,” Richard grinned. Schneider gave him a dark look as Paul whined sadly and hid his face against his shoulder.

“No, I said equally and I meant it. Watch yourself, Reeshypup. You’ve been good today and I’d hate to have to ruin it by spanking you.” Alpha paused, then smirked quietly. “Although knowing you, you’d only enjoy it.”

Paul lifted his head to look at Richard. “Can I ask another question?”

“Always, Paulie.”

“You really like being spanked?”

“Ja.”

“Um...how come?”

“Well...a couple different reasons. See, Alpha treats Till and I a little bit differently because we need different things. Till just wants praise. He never pushes Alpha, and Alpha never has to put his foot down.”

“Whereas Reesh feels safe when he tests the limits and can establish where they are, and so occasionally, he can be a bit...mischievous,” Schneider chuckled. 

“Although I’ve never seen him actually cross a line, at least since we’ve all three been together,” Till piped up. “Sometimes he just likes getting a reminder of who’s in charge.”

“More importantly, just a reminder that it isn’t me,” Richard grins sheepishly.

Paul thought it over for a moment before deciding it made sense. “What’s the other reason?”

Richard grinned. “I’m a masochist and it feels good.”

Paul thought back to the last time he had been swatted on the ass and remembered it as a particularly unpleasant experience. Of course, the more he thought about it, the more he realized it had more to do with his band mates gathered around the camera and nearly wetting themselves from laughter than the act itself.

“Um...Schneider?”

“Yes, darling pet?”

“If...if I wanted to try...that...”

He turned scarlet. Schneider waited patiently for him to regain his composure. 

“...would you be willing to...um...”

He nodded. “But you’d need a safeword. Just in case.”

“Um...’Snow White,’” Paul mumbled with a small smile. The others grinned knowingly.

“But...no laughing this time...” Paul added shyly. “If you laughed, I don’t think I could...um...”

“No laughing,” Richard agreed.

Till chimed in as well. “We promise.”

Schneider pulled Paul into his lap. “Did you want to do it now, or...?”

He nodded.

Schneider nodded. “Okay...you have your safeword. If it’s too much and you start feeling uncomfortable, you can use it and everything stops.”

Richard and Till scooted back out of the way, still cuddling, as Paul shifted to lay across Schneider’s thighs. Paul closed his eyes and took a couple deep breaths to steady himself, and then a large hand, roughly calloused from years of tightly clutching a drumstick, came down firmly against his ass.

Paul squeaked. Schneider paused.

“You alright there, Paulchen?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Can you do it again?”

“I think he gets it,” Richard smiled against Till’s hair.

Paul only took a couple more swats before he began to squirm and barely managed a whispered “Snow White” to Schneider, before he was pulled in for a cuddle by three pairs of arms.

“You stopped.”

“I told you I would,” Alpha said.

“I know, but I...had to check. Is this how it goes for them, too?”

“I’ve never safeworded,” Till shrugged. 

Richard nodded. “Yeah...I have, and this is pretty much how it goes.”

“Every time?”

“Yeah, every time.”

Paul cuddled against the others. “Could there...um...be another time?” he finally asked.

“For you?” Schneider smiled. “As many as you want.”

Paul smiled shyly. “Um...I’m sorry for everything I said before. Y’know...”

He found himself squished between Tillybär and Reeshypup’s bodies as they sighed happily. “Water under the bridge...” Till murmured. And as easily as three became four, they all drifted off in a tangle of arms and legs.

Right before Alpha let sleep claim him alongside his pups, he smiled and mumbled.

“Definitely going to need a bigger bed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author notes
> 
> For everyone who saw this story through to the end with me, thank you all so much. <3 It’s the first fanfiction I’ve written and posted in over a decade, and at the time I posted the first couple chapters, it was the first Rammstein fic I’d ever written...and to have such a positive response to it made me ridiculously happy. 
> 
> I often see the portrayal of Frau Schneider as she appears in the “Mein Teil” video and the onstage “Bück Dich” skit used as a catalyst to write a destructive and abusive petplay dynamic, but I noticed a distinct lack of healthy, mutually beneficial “pack” stories in the fandom and wanted to show that side of things—a pack where Schneider respects limits and safewords, and uses his position as Alpha to encourage his pups to grow for the better, rather than to humiliate and dehumanize them. I hope my interpretation of the boys in that context came across well in the story.


End file.
